Andrew Thaler previously ran as a candidate for the seat of Eden-Monaro before he became a councillor with Snowy Monaro Regional Council. Photo: Claire Fenwicke.
The Snowy Monaro Regional Council’s (SMRC) controversial councillor Andrew Thaler has been suspended from office, again, for the next three months.
But due to the complex legal journey the complaints against him have taken, Region understands that, presently, only his first and current suspensions have been recorded against him.
Cr Thaler served two consecutive three-month suspensions in 2025 before he was issued a third last November, which was successfully stayed.
SMRC then announced his current suspension last week, saying the NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) would suspend him from office between 23 February and 23 May 2026.
A council spokesperson said this meant he was not entitled to exercise functions of a councillor, nor was he entitled to any fee or remuneration.
The OLG was asked to help explain Cr Thaler’s recent suspensions. But a spokesperson for the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, which oversees the OLG, refused to provide a public comment.
The number of times a councillor has been suspended matters because under the relevant legislation, a councillor would be disqualified from holding civic office for five years if they had been suspended three times for misconduct.
Last month, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) made a decision on his second suspension, which started last August, as Cr Thaler had argued this order should never have been made.
NCAT did not think the second suspension order was invalid and, among their findings, found Cr Thaler engaged in “bullying behaviour” to a fellow councillor as well as made statements that were “grossly and inexcusably offensive” about an NDIS recipient.
“Cr Thaler’s undisputed conduct was offensive, humiliating and disgraceful … [it] involved an abuse of his position as an elected representative for his constituents and was a gross betrayal of their trust in him,” the tribunal’s Principal Member Ian Coleman SC said.
“There is no evidence from Cr Thaler acknowledging the wrongfulness of his conduct.”
Ultimately, Principal Member Coleman reprimanded the councillor and ordered him to apologise as well as to stop engaging in the identified misconduct.
But he also set aside the second suspension, finding that confirming the order would not be appropriate.
“I said at the start that what they are doing is wrong and the court agreed with me,” Cr Thaler told Region when asked about NCAT’s decision.
Cr Thaler also argued that legally, he had not been suspended again for the period between this February and May, as there was no court order involved.
“I will try to participate [in council meetings], but the corrupt council won’t let me,” he said.
He said he would appeal this current suspension – which has been given a hearing date on 23 April – and, “anticipating this exact s-tshow”, had already filed an application to stay the suspension.
“The argument in the stay is really simple: if the order has expired, then I don’t need a stay,” Cr Thaler said.
“It’s a long way from over and I’m not out of the door yet.
“My legal costs to date exceed $400,000. This is all going to fold back on the ratepayer.”
He said a directions hearing for the stay application would take place on Friday (6 March).
“The department and the council are completely out of control, absolutely burying me in matters,” he said.
What a shambles. This elected Council is shaping up as the worst in 20 years. Debt, mud slinging and… View